The present invention relates to mounting a flat panel display, and more particularly relates to adjustable mounting systems for flat panel displays.
Recently, there has been a marked growth in the popularity of flat panel displays, which include flat panel televisions, pictures and flat structures suitable for mounting to a vertical surface such as a wall. Flat panel televisions presently use technologies such as liquid crystal, light emitting diode or plasma display, to provide a display screen that is much thinner and lighter than traditional cathode ray televisions or projection televisions. Flat panel televisions are also versatile in that they can be placed on a stand or mounted on numerous surfaces, such as a wall.
Typical systems for mounting a flat panel television to a wall include a wall mount, which is secured to the wall, and one or more mounting brackets, which are secured to the flat panel television. The mounting brackets, with a flat panel television secured thereto, may be engaged with the wall mount, thereby mounting the flat panel television to the wall.
In current flat panel television mounting systems, when the mounting brackets, to which the flat panel television is initially secured, are mounted to a wall mount secured to a wall, the spacing between the mounted television and the wall usually is very narrow. This spacing typically cannot be increased substantially while the television is maintained mounted to the wall mount by the mounting brackets. Consequently, after the television is mounted to the wall mount by mounting brackets, an installer often has difficulty accessing the space behind the television to connect cables and wires to connectors or jacks on the back surface of the television.
In addition, oftentimes a flat panel television, after being mounted to a wall mount by mounting bracket, needs to be vertically adjusted, at one or both of its sides, in relation to the wall mount, so that the flat panel television has a pleasing and desired horizontal leveling in relation to its environment. Components typically included with flat panel television mounting systems that permit adjustment of horizontal leveling of the television, however, are difficult to access and use to achieve a desired horizontal leveling after the television is mounted to the wall mount.
Thus, a need exists for a flat panel display mounting system that provides ease of access to a back surface of a mounted flat panel television, and also ease of adjustment of horizontal leveling of the flat panel television, after the flat panel television is mounted to a wall or other vertical surface.